Chasing the Cosmos
“One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
~Astronaut Neil Armstrong, July 20, 1969
Yesterday, July 20th, marked the 48th anniversary of the United States landing and walking on the lunar surface for the first time in the history of humanity. Even though Mission Commander Neil A. Armstrong, Command Module pilot Michael Collins, and Lunar Module pilot Edwin “Buzz” E. Aldrin were the three astronauts involved on this mission of exploration, it took a cast of thousands to create the opportunity that led them there for that one historic moment. A host of engineers, scientist, physicist, mathematicians, pilots, draftsmen, manufacturers, visionaries and the list goes on, in short, it took the labors and efforts of a nation to make that one brief moment in history happen. The lunar landing was not only a moment of pride for the United States, but it was a moment in time were the entire world stood still in a moment of anticipation with hope for all humanity. The Apollo lunar program saw its last mission to the moon just three years later with the successful completion of the Apollo 17 mission and since that December of 1972, the United States has yet to go back to the moon.
Over the years, the United States has continued to develop and deploy remarkable technologies that continue to explore the outer reaches of space as well as the current world around us. There are those who believe that the lunar landings where a great hoax designed to deceive and demoralize our cold-war adversaries but as for me, I choose to believe that the desire to explore beyond the gravitational bounds of earth were more altruistic with the goal if advancing humanity forward. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, has worked diligently over the years to help expand our knowledge of the world and universe around us. Many people believe that the purpose and usefulness of NASA is not worth the dollars that the government funnels into the program including many at the top levels of our current administration. This detraction of importance to our national space agency seems a terrible dis-service to the nation considering all the positive and useful items developed from our various space programs.
The variety of items that have been developed for NASA which have crosses over into our daily lives are called “spinoffs.” These spinoffs have been consistently integrated into our world for decades as concepts and uses have reached commercial applications and these spinoffs enrich the quality of our lives in ways that we never knew were possible. The camera technology for our smart phones is possible in part due to advances made by partners working with NASA developing better capabilities in smaller packages. Memory foam beds, cordless vacuums, medical equipment (imaging, monitors, pumps, etc.), scratch resistant lenses, enriched baby formula, clothing materials, insulation technologies, water filtration systems, solar systems, effective GPS (global positioning systems), and the list goes on and on. In today’s society, one would be hard pressed not to have some technology spawned by NASA research touch your life in some way. And now the science behind the innovation is under threat because some believe that NASA is a waste of time and money. I encourage you to visit NASA’s spinoff web page to discover what the space agency has done for you and the rest of humanity…and then ask yourself if it is really all a waste? My humble opinion is that research and innovation is never a waste, but those are my thoughts.
The space program has given us all a thrill and sparked our imagination. It has given us all hope of a better tomorrow and allowed us all to dream of the possibilities of the future. Hold onto that sense of wonder and share it with those around you. There is still hope out there beyond the clouds and it is important that we continue to explore the vastness of space in order to continue to improve our lives here on earth. As we head into the weekend, everyone be safe and find some place to stay out of the heat if you can. Take care of yourself and each other, remember, we’re all in this together.
Wm Reid
Best Home Care Services
325 N Eastern Ave
Connersville, IN 47331
765-827-9833
wmreid@bhcshealth.com